• Friends! (typically 6-12 people)
• Grape Nights Box (inc. 3 or 6 lovely wines)
• Wine Glasses (at least 1, but ideally 3 pp) 
• Water
• Tasting mat per person 
• Blank tasting note page  
• Nibbles/ cheeses/ food pairings
• Corkscrew
• Speaker (to play our curated playlist) 
• Spittoon (optional)

Spanish Food Pairings

Cheeses: Manchego, Comté, Morbier, Feta, Cheddar, Brie, Gouda, Jarlsberg, Goat Cheese

Meats: Grilled Chicken, Lamb Cutlets, Red Meats, Grilled Meats, Grilled Herbed Lamb Chops, Braised Basque Chicken

Seafood: Oily Fish, Seafood, Shellfish

Appetizers and Light Meals: Antipasti, Light Dishes, Salads, Spicy Asian Cuisine, Barbeques

Hearty Dishes: Casseroles, Stews, Patatas a la Riojana (Potato & Chorizo Stew), Vegan Sausages.

Italian Food Pairings

Cheeses: Gorgonzola, Comté, Cambozola, Manchego, Morbier, Cheddar, Smoked Gouda

Meats: Salami, Roast Meat, Pork Sausages, BBQ Meats, Steak Tartare

Appetizers and Light Meals: Mushroom Risotto, BBQ Beans / Bean Stew, Charcuterie Board

Hearty Dishes: Gnocchi Al Ragù, Risotto, Tomato-based Pasta Dishes

• Ideally, you want to host around a good-sized table and chairs with ample lighting
• If you are using tasting mats and notes, print these out, place these down 1 each per person.
• Place clean wine-tasting glasses per person on the tasting mat (ideally 3 per person but at least one will work!)
• Ensure plenty of water is on the table
• Wines (20/20 rule: put your red in the fridge for 20 minutes before serving, and take your white out 20 minutes before) 
• Set your table with any nibbles, snacks, or dishes in the centre ready for everyone to share.
• Provide white napkins, which work both for food and also to provide a white background to view the appearance of the wine

• DRINK WATER - do not forget this, it’s so important to stay hydrated during a wine tasting, and i usually recommend at least matching the quantity of water to wine, this way you reduce the hangover too!
• 15-20 mins per wine is suggested, giving time to enjoy and think about each wine 
• The suggested pour is around 50 ml per person, which will serve up to 12 glasses per bottle plus a little left if anyone wants to revisit
• Avoid any strong smells to distract you so avoid cooking smells, perfume etc.